After dominating the men’s 100m final with a 9.79-second victory at the USATF Championships, Noah Lyles appeared set for another historic moment. The Olympic champion entered the 200m final as the heavy favorite and was expected to cruise toward his sixth U.S. title in the event. But instead, he faced a daunting setback as he finished last. Much of this appeared to be because of what he described as “somewhat of a cramp” during the race, which affected his speed.

“I got around the turn, and hamstring was like right about there. I just grabbed on it, and I’m like, there’s no reason to keep pushing that. So I just cut it off,” Lyles said. The Olympic champion also explained that he did not believe it was a major injury. “It’s just a cramp. I just got some electrolytes here. I’m going to chug them down,” Lyles said.

The 200m final on July 26 became a surprising night for Lyles. The American sprint star, who owns a personal best of 19.31 seconds, was unable to challenge for another national title after the issue appeared while he was coming around the bend. He eventually crossed the finish line in 50.88 seconds and finished last.

Garrett Kaalund took advantage of the opportunity and captured the men’s 200m title with a winning time of 20.04 seconds. Brandon Hicklin finished second in 20.29 seconds, while Maximilian Thomas also clocked 20.29 seconds to secure third place. For Lyles, it was a big blow, and after the race, he explained the reason behind finishing so late.

Lyles also admitted that he may have underestimated the physical demand of the championship after running multiple fast races. Following his 9.79-second win in the 100m, he said producing two 9.7-second performances in one day took more out of him than expected. But at the same time, Lyles believes this experience could help him prepare for future Olympic moments.

“I wanted to push myself to make sure that I knew what it felt like to try to get up the next day. If this happens at the Olympics, I need to be ready for it,” Lyles said. Although the race was difficult, Lyles demonstrated sportsmanship post-race. He went over to congratulate Kaalund and hugged him after he won the first USATF 200m event of his career.

But the real question now is:  will Noah Lyles be able to reach his 2026 goals?

Noah Lyles has faced setbacks before and always found a way back

Lyles’ next big competition will be the World Athletics Ultimate Championship in September 2026 in Budapest, Hungary. The American is set to run the 100m and 200m at the first event, September 11-13. Prior to that, Lyles will most likely be spending time on recovery and ensuring he’s in peak condition before returning.

However, if there is one thing fans know about Lyles, it is that setbacks rarely keep him away from big performances. The sprinter has consistently been able to run through a bad situation and still perform when it is needed. For example, Lyles entered the 200m final at the 2025 USATF Outdoor Championships with an ankle problem.

Yet he won the national title with a time of 19.63 seconds despite the pain, with Kenny Bednarek coming in second in 19.67 seconds. Another big example of his resilience came at the Paris Olympics. Lyles tested positive for COVID-19 before the 200m final, just days after winning the Olympic 100m gold medal in a dramatic photo finish with a time of 9.79 seconds. The illness affected him in the 200m final, where he finished third.

Now, after his unexpected USATF 200m finish, Lyles faces another recovery period. But his history shows that when the biggest races arrive, he has always found a way to fight back.